Ironwood Opens in Berkeley, Golf Course Not Included

Ironwood BBQ, that unassuming pit stop at Golden Gate Park's par-three, is part of the elite club of public golf course eateries that actually lures non-golfers to the green on a regular basis. And now comes news that the joint softly opened its first independent storefront in Berkeley a little over a week ago. You see, owner Marcele Kutkauskaite is carrying on the good bbq karma started five years ago in The City by her parents Bruce and Dainora Olson; but she's adding a few Berkeley-appropriate twists, like a "veggieque" sandwich loaded with hickory-smoked tofu and an in-the-works tempeh something or other. Still she notes the Memphis-style pulled pork, slathered in spicy bbq sauce deepened by Prohibition Ale, is an early best seller.

Ironically planted right next to new vegan bakery Cinnaholic and in close proximity to "vegetarian space-age diner" Saturn Cafe, the new pean to all things bbq is actually working with its meat-phobic neighbors to create something unique for vegetarians. What this special something is, mind you, remains to be seen. But Kutkauskaite appears to be most proud of her beef brisket, sourced from hormone- and antibiotic-free cows reared on sustainable Bassian Farms ranches. The same ethos fuels a decor overrun with reclaimed wood and stools crafted from tractor seats, appropriate adaptations for any golf course-to-Berkeley migration, no? [EaterWire]

[Photo: Simone Lang]